ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit Riyadh from March 18 to 19, at the invitation of the Saudi Foreign Minister, to participate in an emergency meeting of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers on regional developments, the Foreign Office (FO) announced.
“He [Dar] will reiterate Pakistan’s call for a swift end to the ongoing conflict and urge the need for return to dialogue and diplomacy,” according to the FO.
During the visit, Foreign Minister Dar will express complete support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and political independence of all brotherly countries in the region and call for an end to all attacks on their territory.
The foreign minister will highlight Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach efforts and its desire to continue playing a pivotal role in resolving the grave security crisis facing the region.
Saudi Arabia has convened the meeting on Wednesday to discuss ways to strengthen regional security and stability.
The meeting comes as tensions across the Middle East continue to surge following US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets that triggered retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the region, raising fears of a wider conflict involving multiple countries and key global energy routes.
The Middle East conflict has intensified after Iran confirmed the deaths of security chief Ali Larijani and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani, promising revenge.
